Fact Check: Viral video of three-headed elephant is not from India but Thailand
Kumbh Mela is celebrated four times in a span of 12 years, held once every three years in four places in rotation.;
Three-headed Elephant
Kumbh Mela is celebrated four times in a span of 12 years, held once every three years in four places in rotation. The places being Prayagraj, Hridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. The location of Kumbh Mela is based on the astrological alignment of planets. The position of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon is taken into consideration and the zodiac sign in which it lies is also checked. There are four types of Kumbh Mela. Kumbh Mela (once in 4 Years), Ardh Kumbh Mela (once in 6 Years), Purna Kumbh Mela (once in 12 Years), Maha Kumbh Mela (once in 144 Years).
Maha Kumbh Mela is a rare event that is celebrated in a grand manner at Prayagraj every 144 years. The Maha Kumbh Mela comes after 12 Kumbh Melas. Maha Kumbh Mela, which is the world's largest religious gathering occurring every 12 years, is scheduled to take place from January 13 to February 26, 2025. Preparations are underway in Prayagraj to host the Maha Kumbh Mela, where thousands of devotees, seers, and sages are expected to gather. The Uttar Pradesh government and local authorities are organizing comprehensive arrangements for accommodations, sanitation, security, and medical facilities to cater to the massive gathering, which is anticipated to draw over 1.5 to 2 crore visitors. While worshippers come together to participate in sacred bathing rituals at the Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet, upscale accommodations add a touch of luxury to the event, blending devotion with lavishness.
Amidst this, a video of a three-headed elephant walking on the street is going viral on social media claiming that the elephant was seen at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, UP. Some YouTube users shared the video with the caption “महाकुंभ प्रयागराज में दर्शन ह
Here is the archive link of the claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The video is not from India.
When we extracted keyframes from the video and searched them using Google reverse image search, we found a Facebook post published in October 2024, proving that the viral video was online since October 2024, it does not belong to Maha Kumbh Mela that is set to take place in January- February 2025.
A YouTube channel named @Love-6395 shared the same video in May 2024 with the caption ‘Prepare for the Ayutthaya Khon parade, a world-class event #Thai world heritage #Ayutthaya people #Khon Krung Sri 5th time #Art #Artwork”. The description of the video states ‘Prepare for the Ayutthaya Khon parade, a world-class event, a world heritage site for the Thai people of Ayutthaya. The 5th Krungsri Khon, three-headed elephant parade’.
When we searched for more information on Ayuttaya Khon Festival that took place from May 30 to June 3, 2024 at Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya Historical park, we found a video showing similar three-headed elephant being paraded on the streets along with other festivities with the caption ‘Parade of the ‘The 5th Aytutthaya KHON Festival 2024, May 30th to June 3rd at Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya Historical park, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province in Thailand.
Upon further search, we also found a 3-headed elephant sculpture is also present in the Eravan Museum in Thailand. This is also called Eravan, which is another name for Airavat in Hindu mythology. It is a Thai name for Airavata and is depicted as a huge elephant with 3 heads and with Indra riding on it.
Hence, the viral video showing a man riding on a three-headed elephant in the street is not from India. It is from Thailand during the Ayutthaya Khon festival that takes place every year in Thailand. The claim that it is seen during the Maha Kumbh Mela is False.